FAIRBORN – As the weather heats up and more community members spend time outdoors, the City of Fairborn declared May 2016 as Bike Month.

Ken Collier, executive director of the Greene CATS Public Transit, accepted the proclamation made by Fairborn Mayor Dan Kirkpatrick during the May 2 council meeting.

“If you’ve not been out yet this year on one of the bike paths, I encourage you to do it,” Collier said. “The paths are great. We encourage you, particularly, during the month of May.”

Kirkpatrick credited bicycling as a healthy and economical means of transportation and a recreational activity to access the community’s offerings. He expressed excitement relating to the completion of the middle section of the bike trail that travels through the Wright Brothers Huffman Prairie as well as the trail that formerly ended at the Fairborn YMCA but now travels near Calamityville.

“Cyclists from Greene County [Parks] and Trails or Dayton Five Rivers MetroParks Trails and beyond can now safely experience off-road riding to Fairborn’s downtown shops and restaurants, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Wright State University,” Kirkpatrick said, adding that creating a bike-friendly environment is helpful to the economy.